Flat file hooded gas lighter



Sept. 12, 1961 R. H.YHANEBERG FLAT FILE HOODED GAS LIGHTER Filed May 3, 1960 IIIIII INVENTOR. z'cfidrd hf Ila/lately United States Patent 2,999,376 FLAT FILE HOODED GAS LIGHTER Richard H. Haneberg, G. C. Fuller Mfg. Co., 5285 Crookshank Road, Cincinnati 38, Ohio Filed May 3, 1960, Ser. No. 26,575 3 Claims. (Cl. 676.1)

This invention relates to improvements in gas lighter constructions and more particularly to a novel fastening means for connecting together in an assembled unit the several parts comprising a hooded, flat file type gas lighter.

An object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple, yet rugged, connecting means for a hooded, flat file gas lighter unit.

Another object of the invention resides in the effective combination of simple and inexpensive parts capable of easy assembly to form a reliable gas lighter that that will withstand the rought usage given this type of device in practice.

My invention will be more fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a gas lighter made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmental, side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the gas lighter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged, fragmental section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing there is shown for the purposes of illustrating this invention a hooded, flat file gas lighter 7 comprising a one piece holder 8 that has two coextensive arms 9 and 10 integrally joined together at one of their ends by a resilient connection 11 which preferably takes the form of a double loop formed in an intermediate part of the holder. One arm 9 has an upturned free end 12 formed thereon to which is mounted a pyrophoric element 13 in any suitable manner. The end of the other arm 10 has an inverted U-shaped frame member 14 extending laterally therefrom and comprising an ofiset portion or leg 15 extending upwardly from the arm 10 and positioned substantially normal to the plane of the arms, the upper end of the leg 15 being integrally connected to a lateral, straight portion 16 which in turn is connected at its end to a downturned terminal portion or leg 17 disposed in parallelism with the leg 15.

A flat file 18 is located within the inverted U-shaped frame member 14 adjacent to and in parallelism with the straight portion 16. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 notches 19 and 20 are formed centrally in opposed end edges of the file for engaging the inner confronting surfaces of the offset and terminal portions 15 and 17, respectively, adjacent their connections with the straight portion 16.

A gas retainer hood is positioned over the inverted U-shaped frame member 14 and has a circular flat top wall 22 and a marginal downward skirt 23 that may have an outwardly projecting annular flange 24 around its lower end. The skirt has formed therein a pair of upwardly extending, confronting grooves 25 and 26 that are stamped internally in opposite sides thereof and of a contour to snugly receive the outer surfaces of the offset and terminal portions 15 and 17, respectively. It will also be noted with particular reference to FIG. 5, that the length of the file is substantially the same as the internal diameter of the hood in order that its end edges will closely approach or actually engage the interior wall of the skirt on both sides of the grooves therein. As

indicated in FIG. 4, in lighter assembled condition, the straight portion 16 of the inverted U-shaped frame 14 is in engagement with the interior surface of the top wall 22 of the hood and the notches in the file are fast within the interior corner portions of the inverted U-shaped member to provide a close fit between the several parts of the gas lighter.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the simplified fastening means which cooperates in a novel manner with the parts of my device to provide a rugged and economic gas lighter construction, said fastening means comprising a lug 27 struck in the body of the hood from each of the two external corner portions formed between the skirt and each internal groove stamped therein. With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 it will be noted that the pair of lugs on opposite sides of each groove are located beneath the fiat file 18, and, as best illustrated in FIG. 5, the pairs of lugs beside each groove project toward one another across the internal mouth of the groove and are in engagement with and overlap the end edges of the file 18 that are located on opposite sides of the central notches therein.

It will therefore be understood that I have provided a strong hooded, fiat file gas lighter that may be eco nomically produced in quantity in that after assembly of the gas lighter parts in operative condition it is only necessary to insert the assembled lighter in the jig of a machine to strike in one operation all the fastening lugs 27 in the hood and thereby to provide a dependable interconnected gas lighter construction.

What is claimed is:

1. A gas lighter comprising a holder including a pair of coextensive arms having a resilient connection at one of their ends for relative swinging movements of said arms, one of the arms having an upturned free end for mounting a pyrophoric element, the free end of the other arm having an offset portion extending upwardly there from substantially normal to the plane of the arms, a straight portion connected to the upper end of the offset portion and extending laterally therefrom with its axis lying in an olfset plane parallel to the plane of the arms, a terminal portion connected to the end of the straight portion and extending downwardly in parallelism with the offset portion, a flat file disposed parallel to and adjacent the straight portion and having a notch formed centrally in each of its end edges, said notches respectively engaging the inner surface of the offset portion and the terminal portion of the holder, a gas retaining hood having a top wall and a marginal, downturned skirt, parallel, upwardly extending and confronting grooves stamped internally in opposed sides of the downturned skirt and receiving the outer surfaces of the offset and terminal portions of the holder, and a lug struck in the body of the hood from each of the two external corner portions formed by the skirt and each groove, said lugs projecting toward one another across the internal mouth of each groove and located beneath and in overlapped engagement with the adjacent end edge of the file on each side of the notch therein. 7

2. A gas lighter comprising a holder including a pair of coextensive arms having a resilient connection at one of their ends for relative swinging movements of said arms, one of the arms having an upturned free end for mounting a pyrophoric element, the free end of the other arm having an inverted U-shaped frame member extending laterally therefrom consisting of a pair of parallel legs and a lateral connecting member for the legs, a flat file extending between the legs adjacent the lateral con necting member and having a leg receiving notch formed centrally in each of its end edges, a gas retaining hood having a top wall and a downturned, marginal skirt, said skirt having upwardly extending, confronting grooves stamped internally in opposite sides thereof and receiving the outer faces of the holder legs, and a lug struck in the body of the hood from each of the external corner portions formed by the skirt and each groove, said lugs projecting toward one another across the internal mouth of each groove and each located beneath and in overlapped engagement with the adjacent end edge of the file on each side of the notch therein.

3. A gas lighter comprising a holder including a pair of coextensive arms having a resilient connection at one of their ends for relative swinging movements of said arms, one of the arms having an upturned free end for mounting a pyrophoric element, the free end of the other arm having an inverted U-shaped frame member extending laterally therefrom consisting of a pair of parallel legs and a lateral connecting member for the legs, a flat file extending between the legs adjacent the lateral connecting member and having a leg receiving notch formed centrally in each of its end edges, 21 gas retaining hood having a top wall and a downturned, marginal skirt, said skirt having upwardly extending, confronting grooves stamped internally in opposite sides thereof and receiving the outer faces of the holder legs,

and a lug struck in the body of the hood from each'of the external corner portions formed by the skirt and each groove, said lugs projecting internally and located beneath and in overlapped engagement with the end edges of the file beside the notch therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

